Switch-throwing device.



No. 701,889. Patented June-1o, |902.

C. C. JAMES.. l ASWITCH THBOWING DEVICE.

(Application filed Sept. 6, 1901.) v (N0-0MM l 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

(Appliation led Sept. 6, 1901.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shqet 2.

'Paten"ced luna I0, |902.

.f4/gi 4 UNITED" STATEs v PATENT OFFCE. j

CHARLES C. JAMES, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

swiTcH-TH-ROWING o'lavloli.

SPECIFICATION forming part ofv Letters Patent No. 701,889, dated J une 10,I 1902. Apparaten mea september 6, 1901. seria No. 74,5651. (No modem I citizen'of the United States, residing at Memphis, Shelby county, State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switch-Throwing Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in switch-throwing devices, and more especially to simple and effective means for throwing a street-railway switch by means controlled from the front platform of the car. i

The objects of myinvention are to provide simple and efficient means whereby the motorman on a' street-ear may throw the switch,

which he is approaching by depressing footoperated mechanism on the car and engaging same with the cross-arm operatively fixed in advance of the switch and directly connected thereto and to improve the details of construction of such mechanism.

In the drawings which illustrate my in vention and the means of operating same from the car, Figure 1 is a plan of a street-railway track with a switch and operating-lever with the cover-plate removed to show the'operation of same. Fig. 2 is asectional elevation on the line II II of Figs. 1 and 4 looking in the direction of the arrows shown and toward the point of -the switch,made to twice the scale.

anism on same. Fig. 4'is a sectional elevation on the line IV IV of Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawings, in'wh'ich like numetals refer to the same or. like parts in all the figures, 1 1 are the track-rails.

2 is the fixed switch-point, such asis commonly usedin street-railway work, and 3 the movable or operative switch-point whichis 1 rods 16 slide and'by which they are guided.

pivotedV at 4. A l

5 is the switch-throwing arm, which is pivoted at 6 in a depressed box 7,' situated between the rails'y 1A l and preferably havinga removable cover-plate Sto permit access to the Workingparts. In Fig. 1 this'cover-plate is shown removed to more clearly illustrate these parts.

9 is a connecting-rod connecting the arm 5, to which itis pivoted at 10, to the switchpoint 3, to which it is pivoted at 11.

Fig. 3 is a plan ofthe front end A of the car,showing the switch-operating mechy V12 is a slot or` opening cut in the rail below the switch-point 3 to allow freemovement of the connecting-rod 9.'

The arm 5 works in slots 13 in the rails 1 and is bent so that one end comes flush with the inner edge of the guard-rail l4/on the rails 1, while the other end is squarely across the slot 15, formed by the guard-rail 14 and the body of the rail 1. The line of centers of the pivots 6 and 10, as showninFig. 1, is at right angles to the center line of the connecting-rod 9, so that the maximummovement of the said connecting-rod is secured nby the movement of the switch-throwing arm 5, and the said line of centers of the pivots 6 and 10 makes an obtuse angle with the center line of the switch-throwing arm 5, and by being so situated gives the' connecting-rod 9 equal movement for either a right-hand or left-hand throw of the switch-point. By this method of locating the line of centers of the' arm and the pivots a very powerful lmovement of the switch-point is secured by a direct connection through a 'diagonally-locatedV connecting-rod 9 to the switch-point 3. ated by rods 16, situated on opposite sides of the car, which rods are adapted to be depressed by levers 17, pivoted at 18 to the carframing 19. These'levers 17 terminate at the ends opposite the pivots 18 inpins 20, which project through the floor 2,1;0f" the car. 2 represents buttons whichprevent the levers 17 from `being.depressed too far.

V'23 represents springs sllsp'i'elrde'dl from the floor of the car, which normally hold the arms `17 up and therefore hold the rods 1 6 out of engagement with the rail 1.

24 represents posts fastened to the timbers 19 and "extended downward therefrom to guide thev rods16. j' I Q ide-loops through which the '25representsg'u I'nFigs; 2 and 4 1 have shown one of the rods 16 as depressed to engage' the switch-operating arm 5, and inv Fig.l 2 1 haveshown the opposite rod 16 as it is normally held-,by lthe spring out of engagement'with the rail:

In operation as, thefcarl approaches the switch the motorman depresses one ofthe buttous 22 and through it one of the rods 16 into the groove 15 between the rail 1 and 'the The arm 5 is operguard-rail 14. If he desires to take the switch take.

to the right in the view shown in Fig. l, he would press on the right-hand button. To continue up the main track, he would press on the left-hand button, though of course it would only be necessary to do this in case the preceding car had thrown the switch in the opposite direction to that which he desired to The rod 1G engages -with the end of the switch-operating arm 5 and pushes it forward until it carries it completely out of the slot l5 and with the corner 5"L just flush with therail edge of the guard-rail 14. Vhen this has been done, the switch-point 3 has been moved by the connecting-rod 9 until it is in the desired position, and since the switch-0perating arm 5 is located in advance of the switch-point it follows that the car-wheel will find the switch-point thrown ready for it. It is only necessary that the proportionate length of the switch-throwing arm 5 to the distance between the centers (i and lO shall be exactly right to throw the switch to its position at the exact moment when the end of the arm 5 is brought out of the groove l5. The bend in the arm 5 must be just sufficient to bring one end into place when the other is moved to its limiting position by the throwing-rod 16.

\Vl1ile it will be found that the especial form of car mechanism which I have shown and described is best adapted to the form of switch-throwing device shown and while itis my intention to use these in connection with each other, it is of course evident that I do not thereby exclude myself from the use of some other form, if I should so desire.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a switch-throwing device, the combination with operative devices on the car, of a switch-point, an arm pivoted in advance of the switch-point and a connecting-rod pivotally connected to said switch-point and said arm, and extending diagonally from said arm to said switch-point, all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a switch-throwing device, the combination with means of operating said device,

of apivoted switch-point, a switch-throwing arm pivotally mounted between the rails of the track, a second pivot in said arm so located that the line of centers of it and the center pivotof the arm make an obtuse angle with the center line of the arm and a connecting-rod extending from said second center to the switch point and pivotally connected thereto, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. In a switch-throwing device, the combination with operative mechanism carried by a car, of a pivoted switch-point, a switchthrowing arm pivoted between the rails in ad vance of the switch-point, a short lever-arm extendingr from said throwing-arm at an obtuse angle thereto and a connecting-rod extending diagonally from said lever-arm to the switch-point, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a s\\'itcli-th1owing device, the combination with operating mechanism carried by a car, of a depressed box situated between the rails slightly in advance of the switch-point, a removable cover-plate for said box, a pivoted switch-point, a switch-throwing arm pivoted in said box and having its ends of such length that they swing just within the tread of the rail and a connecting-rod extending diagonally from saidv throwing-arm to said switch-point, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a switch-throwing device for a track having a grooved rail, the combination with operating mechanism carried by a car, of a pivoted switch-point, a switch-throwing.r arm pivoted between the rails in advance of the switch-point and having its ends of such length that they swing just within the tread of the rail and so located that they swing just above the bottom ot the groove in said rail, slots cut through the guard-flange of said rail to permit the' ends of said throwing-arm to swing into said groo ve and a connecting-rod extending diagonally from said throwing-arm to the switch-point, substantially as shown and described.

6. In a Snitch-throwing device, the combination with a pivoted switch-point, a switchthrowing arm pivoted between the rails in advance of said point, and operatively connected with said point, of means carried by the cars of operating said switch, consisting of arms pivoted at one end to the underframing of the car and extending forward and terminating in pins which extend upward through the car-platform, a spring for each normally holding the arms in a raised position, switchoperating rods extending downward from same and which when depressed come directly in the path of the switch-throwing arm and guide-posts fastened to thek underframing of the car and extending downward therefrom to guide the said operating-rods,substan tiall y as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES C. JAMES.

-Witnesses:

J. H. Wax'rnnnronn, GEO. E. NEUIIARDT.

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